NOTE TO ENTRANTS FROM PAUL KOPEIKIN:
"Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter the competition and especially to those of you who I could tell really thought of the theme and how to engage with it. Competitions are difficult, putting yourself on the line to be “judged.” But you must remember that even with an “expert” like myself it’s subjective. And so while I’m not willing to give everyone a “trophy” thereby making all trophies meaningless, do not for a minute think that if you weren't chosen your work is any less valuable. Because you will be chosen the next time you enter!"

THEME:
Kopeikin says, "I'd like the photographers to take a picture that has the elements of a snapshot, something you might find at a flea market, while at the same time including an aspect of their own aesthetic."

Kopeikin came up with this theme as just having seen the Walker Evans retrospective at SFMOMA, where Evans work, American vernacular, or the language of everyday life found in roadside attractions, postcards, storefronts, and signage across the country stuck out in his memory.

Over five decades, Evans’s powerful images responded to and reflected the spirit, suffering, and fortitude of a nation. His iconic images of the Great Depression and his postwar photo essays depicting shop window displays, urban architecture, and junked automobiles defined a new documentary style that continues to influence generations of artists.

This call is not just about American vernacular. It's about vernacular in all countries.

20% of artist fees go to charity. 10% to the curator's charity and 10% to the first place winner's charity.

Kopeikin's charity A Purposeful Rescue ( A purposeful rescue saves dogs from high-kill Los Angeles from high-kill area shelters. There are many amazing dogs who get overlooked, or need a little extra work and care, and they aim to give those dogs a second chance.)www.apurposefulrescue.org